A Guide to Your Vitrification and Cryopreservation Options

Cryopreservation is an aspect of fertility treatment that accounts for family planning later in the future, as it offers preservation of fertility along with an opportunity to maximize IVF treatment success. There are several procedures included in cryopreservation that may benefit you and your partner, and these are discussed in further detail here:

Embryo Cryopreservation: In IVF treatment, several eggs are used to make as many embryos as possible, but only a few are actually used for implantation. Because the unused embryos may still meet the criteria for use in treatment, they can be saved for future use with cryopreservation. Unlike simple freezing, cryopreservation has a high rate of pregnancy success. The reason for this improvement in successful implantation is that the embryos are frozen through vitrification, which eliminates ice crystals by fast-freezing them.

Oocyte Vitrification: Egg freezing is a procedure that can preserve female fertility, as it is used when eggs are most healthy. This means that women desiring to get pregnant after the age of 35 will have a better chance of doing so. Recent techniques for egg vitrification have significantly increased the reliability of this procedure, which used to be highly problematic in future IVF procedures using previously frozen eggs.

Sperm Cryopreservation: Sperm cryopreservation is an established procedure that has been in use for decades to preserve healthy sperm for later use in IVF treatment. Sperm is quickly frozen through storage in liquid nitrogen, and it can be safely thawed for later use. Men who are opting for vasectomy or who are about to undergo cancer treatment will often choose sperm cryopreservation to keep family planning options available in the future.

For more details about these procedures and a look at how they can play into your goals to have children, schedule an appointment with Dr. Laurence A. Jacobs by calling (877) 672-4234. With a background in endocrinology and infertility training through the Mayo Clinic and a practice featuring the latest technology in fertility care, Dr. Jacobs can create a personalized approach that will help you start your family.